Much to my surprise support for Israel is slipping rapidly and badly among members of the hard right. On July 12th Tucker Carlson gave a speech to a major Turning Point Conference
Turning Point USA is the nation’s "pre-eminent conservative youth organization”. Tucker flatly declared that Jeffrey Epstein was a Mossad agent. In doing so he not only went against Trump’s position on this but more importantly went against decades of solid conservative orthodoxy meaning unwavering support for Israel. Now, the important point here is as he stated this, the crowd cheered! This solid assembly of the conservative movement cheered this aspersion on Israel. It was a shock to me and hints at a sea change in public opinion, even right wing opinion.
Switching to the Hague Group’s emergency summit in Bogotá, held July 15–16, 2025, it produced a landmark set of actions aimed at ending what participants described as Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Here’s a breakdown of the key outcomes:
Participating Nations
30 countries attended, including Colombia, South Africa, Cuba, Indonesia, Iraq, Malaysia, and others from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. NATO countries Spain, Portugal, Norway, Slovenia, and Turkey also attended.
12 countries committed to immediate implementation of the measures: Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Indonesia, Iraq, Libya, Malaysia, Namibia, Nicaragua, Oman, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and South Africa.
Six Coordinated Measures Adopted
These countries pledged to:
End arms transfers to Israel, including weapons, ammunition, military fuel, and dual-use items.
Ban ships carrying such items from docking or transiting through their ports.
De-flag vessels under their jurisdiction that violate these bans.
Review public contracts to eliminate support for companies linked to the Israeli occupation.
Support universal jurisdiction, allowing prosecution of international crimes regardless of location.
Ensure accountability through national or international investigations and prosecutions.
Broader Goals
A unified call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
A deadline of September 20, 2025, for other nations to join the initiative, aligning with the start of the UN General Assembly.
Notable Voices
Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur, called the summit “the most significant political development in the past 20 months” and urged other states to join the measures.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro declared, “We came to Bogotá to make history — and we did”.
This summit marks a shift from condemnation to coordinated legal and diplomatic action. It’s an important start that bypasses the UN where the US holds veto power.